OmniBus Review

OmniBus on PC

My time here at Twinfinite has given me a chance to play a huge variety of games. I don’t think any game has ever left me with quite as many questions as the profoundly weird OmniBus. Playing out like some kind of nightmarish physics demo, OmniBus puts players in (very loose) control of an unstoppable, unbreakable bus. Players will mash through buildings, soar through the air, and take on nonsensical challenges as they struggle to understand why.

OmniBus wastes zero time in jumping headfirst into its own absurdity. Offering Story Mode, Free Play, and Multiplayer options, this burst of utter insanity is free from the limiting rules of accelerators, brakes, or pretty much anything else you might expect. In fact, your only supposed control over the titular multi-passenger deathtrap is to sort of steer it, including wildly pitching while spinning haphazardly through the sky.

Story Mode is OmniBus’s closest approximation to a typical game. Players will face unique challenges through each level, unlocking new worlds by completing enough of these to move on. Each level feels pretty unique, which is about the best I think you could possibly expect. Smashing specific objects, landing tricky leaps of faith, or simply surviving hellish gauntlets of pinball-style bumpers to reach the goal are all on the menu.

Where OmniBus shines, if anywhere, is in pure fun factor. Given its complete disregard for reason or purpose, it’s remarkably simple to simply pick up and play. Completing any of the Story Mode’s feats may not be simple, but jumping in feet-first and simply experiencing the insanity is enjoyable. This is even more true in the game’s Free Play and Multiplayer modes, which allow complete freedom in your building-smashing, ramp-jumping adventure.

Of course, as a reviewer, I still have to look at OmniBus with some objective analysis. In this regard, it’s easy to admit that this is a hot mess of a game. While it’s a great diversion that might fit well as a diversionary minigame, the title fails to stand up as anything more. The controls, such as they are, feel stiff and limited. The graphics and sound feel like something that belongs in a Windows 95 screensaver. The very premise of it feels like a half-formed joke that forgot its own punchline.

Almost in spite of itself, though, OmniBus is still somehow fun. It may be short on coherence and play like a tech demo from a mid-90s game conference, but in spite of itself, careening through its poorly-rendered world is still worth a chuckle. While it has yet to officially release on Steam, interested players can check out the free demo from the developers for a taste of this uniquely bizarre and incredibly unpretentious title.